1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for detecting collisions between vehicles, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for using a portable electronic device, like a cellular telephone, to detect collisions using acceleration data, and to notify a third party when such collisions occur.
2. Background Art
Collisions between vehicles are bad experiences for everyone involved. Not only are they costly and time consuming, but serious collisions may even cause life-threatening injuries as well. The amount of time that lapses between impact and notification of authorities to the arrival of emergency personnel can mean the difference between life and death. Immediate notification of the accident is imperative in reducing the overall response time of emergency services.
For minor “fenderbenders”, immediate response time is generally not a problem. To begin, such minor accidents generally do not involve life-threatening injuries. Additionally, as most people carry cellular telephones when they travel, a person involved in a minor accident may simply call “911” after the collision.
For serious accidents, however, simply calling the authorities may not be possible. Seriously injured travelers often lose either consciousness or the ability to operate a phone in such accidents. Consequently, an unconscious or seriously injured driver or passenger risks sustaining permanent injuries or even death by not being able to use a phone.
One prior art solution to this “automatic notification” problem is to couple a telematic device to a vehicle's safety systems. For example, cars equipped with the OnStar™ system have alert systems that are tied to the deployment of airbags. The OnStar™ system further included an embedded cellular phone. When a person is involved in an accident, and the airbags deploy, the OnStar™ system places a cellular call and notifies an operator of the deployment. If the car is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) device, the OnStar™ system will notify the operator of the vehicle's location as well.
The problem with this prior art solution is that many cars are sold without OnStar™. Such systems are not standard equipment, and are generally sold as an option for an additional fee. Additionally, older cars, built before OnStar™, do not include this equipment (and may not even include airbags). Further, passenger transportation, like busses and trains, generally do not include such notification equipment.
There is thus a need for an improved collision notification system that is portable and that works independently, without the need of embedded vehicular subsystems.